“Hey, Era! You in there!” She shows herself to me. “Listen, I have a problem. I'm stuck. I can't decide. Red or blue?” I lay the drawings down for her. “This is for Mom, for her birthday. Blue would match her hair but I think the red would pop more!” I "pop" my fingers out. “What ya think? I have some leftover gems from my old creations that we used, I figured I could do something with them?” I fidget. “Era?” I look up. She stares at me with a weird look... I smack myself on the forehead.

“My bad my bad, I forgot. Here.” I open the basket. I keep staring at my sketches while Era eats. She cleans her face with the back of her paw. Slowly...

“Somehow it feels like you’re stalling...” I squint at her. She paws the two drawings and lays down. I lift the giant paw off them. The sketches got a bit wrinkled but they lay on top of each other now... I stare at them...

“Both? Is that what you are trying to tell me?” I look at Era again. She blinks at me once. “Ooohhh you clever girl! That's a nice idea. Ok, wait, gimme a second...” I rustle for a pencil, flip a sketch over and quickly make new design. “How’s this? Red for the outside and blue for the inside?” No response...

“Ok, try this. Blue, red, blue, red...?” I wait. She opens one eye. “Still no? Both? Yeah. Both is good. I can make it even bigger that way! No wait. I shouldn't. It would stand out too much... I know! I can make a set. I'll make the hair ornament this year and use the rest for something else, a necklace maybe?... Yeah! That's what I'll do! Oh, if you're wondering about Dad's present. Here.” I take the thing out and unwrap it.

“It's a bit old and dull now but I think I can restore it, in time for his birthday. We have a habit of keeping things like this. Just in case, ya know?” I stare at the knife. “All it needs is a good polish and a nice sharpening! I'll leave it with you, so he doesn't find it. I want it to be a surprise.” I smile. “I'll go down for a bit. Pardon the intrusion!” I slide down the rope and put the blade in the other bag, that hangs in Era's lair. I come back out.

“They'll be going back to Astri soon again. To deliver the goods. I'll have to try and make Mom's gift in that time... I'll be coming over still, you won't get rid of me that easily!” I grin and pet Era again.

I watch the boy work hard for these presents, as he calls it. Something that one gives to their loved ones on their birthday... It seems this custom is quite important for the people...

I wake up. Why's it so cold in here? Why's it so bright? I lift my head up and look out the window... White... White! Snow! Yay! No! Era! I jump out of the bed and flopped down on my stomach... My feet got tangled with the blankets...

“You alive?” Dad's voice asks me. I groan. Shoes stand next to my nose. A hand reaches for me. I take it, get up and kick the bedding off me.

“So? Where's the fire, first thing in the morning?”

I yawn. “Era must be cold with all this snow.”

“She has a pretty good coat on her, I think she'll live. Besides. She has been living before you too. I'm sure it's not her first Winter.”

“I don't care! I know her now and I'm worried!” I get dressed. “Even if she is what she is, it doesn't mean she doesn't get hurt or cold or hungry!” I rustle for some Winter shoes. Quick anger runs through me and I dump the chest out on the floor.

“What's going on?” I hear Mom behind me too now. My shirt picks me up in the air. Can't. Breathe. Dad sets me down on the bed.

“Knock it off or I'll throw you into the fluff to cool you off.” He stares me down. I rub my neck. He sighs and walks out the room. He comes back with the fur rug from their bedroom.

“You can give her this. If you lay some branches under neath it, it'll have a layer between the ground, so it should help make it less freezing. Lay it down on the leather. If she sleeps on top of it, she'll trap her own body heat from her belly, it'll keep her warm.” He rolls the thing up. Mom hands him some rope, and helps Dad tie it up.

“If you leave with this now, everyone will see you. Wait till it gets dark, ok?” Mom tells me.

“I'll help ya carry it over to her.” Dad stands up and leans the fur against the wall. “It's not wool, but.”

“Thank you.” I bow. “I'm sorry for making a fuss...”

“It's ok. I'm kinda worried about her too.” Mom admits. I look up. “You can take this to her too. We have an extra one.” She folds one of my blankets.

“Thanks.” I tidy up my things.

“I'm kinda jealous.” She says.

“About what?” I stare at Mom.

“Just think about how warm it must be to cuddle up with Emerald...” Mom mumbles and hides behind the folded blanket. It clicks to me and I laugh.

“I'm hurt. I'm not enough for you?” Dad says from the other room. I laugh even louder.

“Oh shush!” Mom walks out, blushing still. I pull myself back together and get back to cleaning. Work has been put on hold for today, as the sudden snow, makes us take care of other things. Meaning, the window frames get covered up, the heavy gear gets dragged out. Food supply is counted. Just to be sure, and so on... At the end of the day Dad and I take a few things to Era's lair. I climb down the rope and lay the rug out. It's dark, so I'll look for branches tomorrow. I come back up. Dad and Era have a staring contest in the light of the torch.

“Am I interrupting?” I grin.

Dad glares at me. “Well?”

I fidget. “I wanna stay.”

He sighs. “I knew it. Here.” He tosses me a pouch. “Something to chew on.”

“I figured you would be happier to have some privacy, again?” I tease him.

Dad smacks me on the head. “Don't underestimate us. We know how to be quiet too.”

“Daaaad!” I blush.

He laughs. “You started this.” He smiles. “Good night.”

“Sweet dreams!” I tell him. “I'll be back for breakfast!”

“Sure.” He nods and leaves us. Era and I crawl back into the tree.

“It's a good thing I have these on.” I dangle my shoes in the dark, as I take them off. “Mom made them for me. We turn the skin inside out, then the fur keeps the feet warm. So, as long as they don't get too soaked, it's kinda nice. They got a little wet now, but they'll dry off in no time.” I change into the older pair and hang the wet one of the roots. This one probably won't hold out much longer... I sigh and I huddle up with Era again.

“Knock knock!” Ren's voice calls to me. I come out. He has his goofy smile all over his face. He's up to something. I sit down. He clears his throat. I smell blood...

“You may not know this but today is the day when we first met! As such, I had decided that it would be your birthday! It's been a year since then so, Happy Birthday!” Ren walks over to me and puts flowers on my head?

“That's from Mom and this;” he takes something out of the bag; “is from Dad.” He puts the blood-soaked cloth on the ground and unwraps it. A juicy piece of meat lays in front of me.

“I helped but he caught it.” Ren says to me. I stare at the boy. “Oh, don't worry. This is your half. We kept the other half. Dad's a better hunter then me, he caught a whole deer! Anyways;” he shakes his head; “dig in!” He sits down and I tear into the meat.

“How is it?” He asks. I lick my face clean, whip my tail to the sides and carry on. The boy laughs. “They'll be glad to know! That flower crown is from Mom's garden. She picked the best ones just for you.” Ren smiles. I stop my meal and nod to him.

“Gotchya, I'll tell her ya liked it!” He grins wider. “Oh yeah! Mom said she'll make me a new pair of shoes for me from the skin! So, thank you!” Me? For what? I'm the one who is grateful for everything...

Another year goes by, and another. I never paid attention to time before Wykren. But ever since then, time spent with him has become special... Even if our days look exactly the same. I enjoy them. Letting myself drown in his peacefulness...

Ren's late today. I can see the sky from down here. A feint rustle. A scent. I climb out.

“Hey, Gorgeous, how are ya?” He says, sitting down, with his back to the tree. I look at his face. I lean in. He has his eyes closed.

“Stop staring, that's rude.” He says. “I asked Dad to teach me some moves... We used to do that sometimes when I was little... I got cocky...” He tells me, keeping his eyes closed still. Half of his face is puffy and red?

“Mom already yelled at him, that was fun to watch.” He grins. “Even though it was all my fault anyways...” I lick the boy and put my head in his lap.

His hands ruff my fur. “Thanks, girl.” His legs have gotten longer now...

“Hey, Gorgeous!” I call for Era. She climbs out for me, as usual. “Close your eyes!” I tell her as she sits down. She waits a moment and does as told. I stretch my hands out. “Open them.” Emerald looks at me.

“Happy 3rd Birthday!” I tell her. “Sorry it took so long, hope this makes up for it.” I show her the present.

“These are Lector Stones. They have Mana in them already. So, to use them, you only need to touch them. Mom made these for us.” I hold each of the two Stones in my palms. “We use them to talk to each other without being near or using words. I mean, we don't have to use sound. Yeah, that's better. So. The Stones can be a little tricky to use if you don't know how. I never used one before, so this is new to me too.” I smile.

“Lector Stones send your thoughts out to the other person. Now, when you only have one Stone, it's no problem. But some have five or ten, or more. So, it can get really confusing. The way this works is - you think of the person you want to talk to and then talk to them. Even when there are more people connected to the same Stone you can still pick out only one or two, the ones you want to talk to. The reason why we can do that is because we use Mana and Chants. There are special spells for that. Four total. One for Mana infusion. One for calling out. One for receiving in and one for locking the Mana in. That's why even someone like me can use them...” I smile...

“You chant them as you use your Mana making them. It takes three years to make a Lector Stone. I mean, a high quality one. There are others but they can break if overused. Dad said that three years is the best amount.” I shake my head.

“Not the point now! Anyways, I learned the Chants when I was little but because I have no Mana, I can't make them.” I clench the Stones for a quick moment.

“So. Does it make sense? Maybe it'll be easier if we just try doing it instead.” I hold one Stone and place the other one on Era's paw. I take a step back and concentrate.

“Oh. I should mention. You need to be careful not to let your thoughts leak out. This is why Lector Stones are not given to kids. They lack focus to have control over them.” I smile. “Anyways. Lets try this, ok?” I try to concentrate again.

“Era.” I reach for her inside my mind.

“Ren.” A deep growl rings inside my head. I flop down on my ass from the sheer impact of it...

“No way...”

“No? Do you not hear me?” She turns her head a little...

“Oh I hear you... I hear you! Era! I can hear you!” I scramble back to my feet and tackle her neck.

“Such a child, you are.”

I let go and step back. “Well pardon me for loving you so much! I waited for this moment for three years! I can’t help it if I'm happy!”

“Your lips moved. Yet I heard you in my head?” She tils her head to the other side.

“Oh. That's ‘cause you can talk out loud too and the Stone will send your thoughts out still, as long as you continue to think about the one you wish to talk to. Or.” I shut my mouth. “You can talk in silence. Like so.” I smile.

“I see. This world is full of strange things...” Era says. That makes me laugh. You got that right... I stare at her…

“Why does your Stone have a string on it?”

“That's cause I couldn't decide where I wanted to have it. I figured I'd hang it around my neck and you would have one around yours, but then, as I was coming over, I thought the string might break and if you'll lose the Stone... Then I figured I could braid it into my hair but the Stone is too big... AAARGGHHH!! I REALLY DIDN'T THINK THIS THROUGH!!” I pant for a quick second.

“Anyways. For Lector Stones to work you need to have exact same ones, so I'll leave it as it is. Besides. I can always do this.” I fidget with the string for a few moments and hook on the other corner. Turn it upside down and tie it around my neck.

“See! It touches the skin better this way! Gramps said that people used to place the Stones inside their bodies, not to lose them, like across their arms or necks…” I trace a finger here and there. “Later they came up with necklaces and bracers that you can place the Stones in and it will hold it for you, because the hole in the bracer lets the Stone touch the skin. Any contact with the living body is enough. That's why these days they make the Stones tinier. But I had these so I wanted to use them and well, make them special...”

“So I only need to touch it to use it?” She asks. I nod. “Then, here.” Era lays her neck down. “If it is inside my body, I won't lose it, will I?” I stare at her.

“No way! I'm not cutting you up!”

“It's fine.”

I hesitate. “No. I won't do it! You had a terrible time the last time!”

“Ren.”

“I'll ask Mom to help. She can heal the cut faster... We'll come back tomorrow.” I tell her sitting down and change the subject.

Ren comes back with Hyra the next day, as promised. The mother of the boy handles me slowly and with care. The same as Ren that time. She asks me a few times if I am sure about this. She cuts my neck and puts the Stone inside. I was told she has the power to heal. It holds true. I don't feel any pain and the cut heals on the spot. Ren lets her touch the Stone on his neck. I thank her. She stares at me for a long moment, then bows and leaves the two of us alone again.

“Really! Wait! For real!! You can talk to animals!” My jaw drops.

“Not really. I simply understand the sounds they make. It took me years to learn how to distinguish between the different sounds.”

“So what do they say?”

“Not much. Mostly food or danger. Not all animals have the wide mind to talk.”

“Wide mind? Oh, you mean like they aren't as smart?”

“Possibly.”

“I wonder if you could talk to Dragons?”

“Perhaps. They too are mythical creatures?”

I shrug my shoulders. “So I understand. But anyways. This is so awesome! Wow. You're awesome Era.” Suddenly my days spent with Era become more vibrant...

Talking has become a new sensation for me. I am able to keep Ren company even when he's not here with me. Sometimes he'll forget to shut his mind down and his thoughts flood my mind. Usually, it happens when he gets stranded in his workshop. It's fun to see him get nervous and embarrassed about it later. However. I don't abuse that power. It's his life, after all.